TWO classical musicians nominated for this year's South Bank Show Awards will appear at one of the UK's oldest musical festivals in mid Wales.

Rhian Davies, new artistic director of Gyl Gregynog Festival, has pulled off a major coup by signing up tenor Andrew Kennedy and young trumpeter Alison Balsom for the event, which runs from June 15-24.

The pair join The King's Singers, the highly acclaimed acappella choral ensembles, as the festival's headline artists on June 21.

Winner of the Young British Classical Artist Award at the 2006 Classical Brits, Balsom takes centre stage at Gregynog on June 22. Kennedy, one of classical music's hottest properties, will give a recital on June 16, accompanied by pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips.

On June 24 the festival marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edward Elgar, who frequently visited Gregynog, owned by sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies. With help from Walford Davies and Dora Herbert-Jones, the sisters devised the Gregynog Festivals of Music and Poetry between 1933-38 and attracted many other leading musicians of the day to their home, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst and Adrian Boult.

Amanda Huntley, of Huntley Film Archives, will show contemporary footage of Elgar. Sacconi String Quartet and pianist Gary Matthewman will perform Elgar's String Quartet and Piano Quintet. There will also be displays by the Elgar Birthplace Museum together with art exhibitions from Aberystwyth University.

The festival is in the intimate setting of the Music Room at Gregynog country house set in 750 acres of landscaped grounds and wooded parkland five miles from Newtown.

June 23 sees the search for Gregynog Young Musician of the Year, with more than #2,000 to be divided between six finalists, including a #1,000 prize.

Tickets go on sale at Theatr Hafren, Newtown on February 1. More details on 01686 625007 and at info@gwylgregynogfestival.org.